Lookout Pointe
by Shinigamichan87
Summary: The Uchiha name comes with high expectations and strict rules. As the youngest son, Sasuke struggles to understand what kind of man he wants to become: one worthy of the Uchiha name or one that gives into the strange emotions within his heart. M/M YAOI
1. So it beginsat the end

Hi all! So this is a Sasu/Naru YAOI fanfic. There will be multiple chapters! There will be angst! There will be proud Uchihas that will tick you off to no end! Oh my!

Word of warning, I am posting these two chapters while stupidly tired and still finding it to be a good idea to post this stuff after reading through it only once. So that being said, please let me know if you see any errors and where!

**WARNING: Male on Male situations, YAOI, Guys loving up on each other. Not your thing? BACK BUTTON PLEASE!**

To the rest: Thanks soo much for reading! Looking forward to reading your reviews! ~Hugs all around~

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><p><strong>Lookout Pointe<strong>

**Chapter 1: So it begins...at the end  
><strong>

Sasuke sat on one of the large boulders comprising the jetties of the small Florida town. The water crashed against the lower stones, spraying salty mist into the air and giving the pale man a reprieve from the still scorching air of the late afternoon. The sun was beginning its descent behind the horizon, the blur of pinks, oranges, purples, and yellows enhanced by their reflections on the water's surface.

Most of the tourists had left for the day, moving towards the restaurants and bars to gain back the water they lost from their day out in the sun. The white sand of the beach beside the jetty almost luminescent in the increasing darkness. The sight was breathtaking.

Sasuke hated the beach.

He hated the filthy layer of sweat and sunscreen that constantly encompassed his sensitive skin. He hated the foul smelling water as it unrelentingly managed to splash him in some way, even when he wasn't even near the damn liquid.

He hated how the sand clung to his skin the moment a miniscule amount of moisture landed on him. He also hated how there wasn't anything to use—short of a fire hose—to get the damn dirt off once it got on.

He hated the thought of all the debris that lay hidden underneath the water and sand, a direct result of people's laziness. He hated the foreign diseases that those objects could contain. A disease that could not be avoided due to its concealment by the very material he had to walk on. One wrong step could result in an incoming dose of tetanus.

He hated the loud tourists with their loud music, and their constant yelling. He hated that _they _were mostly the cause of that damn debris that will inevitably give him tetanus. He hated how they smoked in public, uncaring that they are risking the health of those around them.

He hated how they thought it was a great idea to have an increasing amount of alcohol consumption, which _always _resulted in making countless mistakes.

Mistakes that couldn't be repaired. Mistakes that couldn't be forgotten.

Mistakes that would change his life forever. Mistakes that changed the way he saw his best friend.

Mistakes that ultimately led to finding the love of his life...and then destroying his love's heart shortly after.

Sasuke clenched his teeth together and gripped the fabric of his board shorts as regret and anxiety twisted in his gut.

All of the events that led to the catastrophe of everything he thought he knew—about his friends, family, and himself—originated here...at this fucking beach.

So yeah, Sasuke definitely hated the beach.

He only hoped there was a way that he could fix the mistakes he had made.

Sasuke had done all he could do. It was up to Naruto now.

So he continued to sit there, as he had done for the last five hours. His ass was past the point of pain finishing the stage of becoming completely numb now. His skin was tight from the earlier rays of the sun, and the exposed derma was now growing cold, despite how obviously hot it still was outside.

Sasuke's mind was spinning as thoughts of what happened and what he could have done to stop it...what he should have done.

But that was in the past. He couldn't change what happened. He could only hope. Hope that Naruto will listen to the voicemail Sasuke had left him earlier that week. He would hope that his best friend would listen to it and do what Sasuke was so desperately hoping he would do. Sasuke could remember each inflection of his normally stoic voice as he tried to get out what he was trying to say. The words had not been as clear and steady in his voice as they normally were. There hadn't been anything he could do about it though, he had been focusing so hard at the time and still his damn body to wouldn't stop shaking.

"Naruto...Look I know I fucked up, I know I did. I know I can't get past my pride to show you just how much you...just how god damn much you...fuck! I can't tell _this_ to you over a voicemail. That's the cheap and cowardly way. That's not how the two of us do things. Right, dobe?"

Sasuke cleared his throat and continued. "Naruto...I...I know that even you probably won't forgive me for what I did. I wouldn't forgive me if I were in your shoes.

But if you do forgive me, if you want...to finally settle this. If you want to have what I couldn't bring myself to accept...

"Then meet me at Lookout Pointe. I'll be there until Saturday."

Sasuke had left the voicemail on Naruto's cell phone on Monday morning on his way to airport. He arrived in Florida a few hours later. He dropped off his things at the hotel room he bought for the week and then went to the spot Naruto would go.

It was their spot after all.

He arrived Monday afternoon.

It was now Friday night.

"You aren't coming...are you?" Sasuke's voice was steady and low, hiding all the panic that was threatening to spill out of his chest at any moment.

"Naruto..."

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><p>~dun, dun duuuun~<p>

I have done what I like to call "Quentin Tarantino"ing a fic. Which means I gave you guys a little teaser of what is to come. Next chapter gives us a bit of the back story.

Thanks again for reading and please be kind, say what's on your mind XD (review!)

~Shini :)


	2. Familial Expectations and the Fragility

Le gasp! Two chapters in one go. I...will most likely never do this again XD Sorry, just being truthful. I'd like to say I have all this typed out already, but I am kind of going with the flow and seeing where this one takes me.

Backstory of the two boys! They are young and easily influenced by the adults around them (and before you think too much into that statement NO, THIS ISNT SHOTA.)

**WARNING: MALEXMALE SITUATIONS, YAOI, DUDES LOVING OTHER DUDES. **

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><p><strong>Chapter 2: Familial Expectations and the Fragility of a Child's Mind<strong>

_"When love is suppressed hate takes its place" ~Havelock Ellis_

Sasuke:

_I _hate_ Naruto. _

_I hate the way he smells. _

_And he doesn't even fucking stink...he doesn't even have a very distinguishable smell to him at all. _That _pisses me off the most. _

_I could spend hours sitting next to him while he yaps away about something pointless and I can't pay attention to what he's saying because I am too busy trying to figure out what he fucking smells like._

And why he smells so god damn good_—No! I mean, why he smells so bad!_

_It's like he smells like something girly like those damned flowers you see in those flower stands—like lavender or rosemary or some shit—as well as that male _musk_that some guys have. _

_I normally hate those kind of smells, yet for some reason...I don't it when _he _smells like them. _

_I hate his voice._

_I hate that he can continue talking about something for hours and hours and I don't do anything to stop him. I hate that his voice almost sounds sing song in tempo and lilt and it _doesn't _drive me up a fucking wall._

_I hate that I don't notice the time flying by when I listen to him talk. _

_I hate the way he looks._

_With his god awful golden blond hair, that always seems to fall in such a way that reflects the most amount of light from the sun. And that the strands manage to look absolutely chaotic and still be sex—_obnoxious_ at the same time. _

_I hate his tanned skin and how it looks as if it shimmers in that damned sunlight. That stupid skin of his makes him look exotic even though he was born in the same damn state I was. _

_I hate how fucking short he is. Guys shouldn't be that fucking short. And he isn't like freakishly short, just a few inches shorter than most of the other guys. And I am taller than most too..._

_I hate that he is short enough to be the perfect height...for me to rest my chin or cheek against the top of his head if I wanted to. Not that I would _ever_do such a disgusting thing!_

_I hate that he's not all that muscular. _

_He has this body that is compact or something. Not small enough to be associated with a female's physique. He does have some tone to his muscles, but not enough to be astoundingly masculine. It makes me want to rip my hair out in frustration. _

_Because...because he's fucking small enough that I just _know _if I wanted to I could easily wrap my arms around him and tuck him against me perfectly._

_Again, not that I would._

_I hate his stupid blue eyes too._

_His eyes _always_show exactly what he is feeling. _

_You know what, Naruto? Sometimes I just don't want to know what is going through your mind! _

_I always want to scream those words at him when he starts to look at me like that._

_Because sometimes it just fucking _hurts _to see what he's thinking. It feels like he is screaming at me to notice the signs, and do something about it. _

_But I wont. _

_I will never do what he is asking me to do._

_I hate the way he makes me feel. _

_I hate the way my stomach does this strange flip flop every time he is near. I feel like I should get nauseated every time, and then get annoyed when that drive to puke never comes. _

_I hate how my heart begins to pound rapidly in my chest along with the twists in my gut. _

_I hate that my head gets fuzzy when he turns to look at me, and my vision becomes hyper-sensitive for just his damned face._

_I once went to the doctor, thinking I was dying or something. When I told the doctor exactly what was happening when these instances occurred, he would look at me strangely. _

_Like I was an idiot._

"_Son...I think you know very well why you are having these sensations."_

_No, I don't know. _

_Actually, you know what? _

_I don't want to know. _

_I don't ever want to know. _

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><p><em><strong>20 years ago. Small Town in Southern Arkansas.<strong>_

_**Sasuke: age 7, Naruto: age 6**_

Sasuke Uchiha had been alienated from the rest of the world at a very young age.

When he had started his first year at the small elementary school, he found that very few of his classmates would interact with him. And that few immediately stopped once they found out who he was.

The children would always give him a strange look or even have fear in their eyes when he tried to talk to him in the beginning. He hadn't understood why they acted that way.

Of course, being a small child he immediately turned to the one person he looked up to the most for advice—his older brother.

Itachi had always been a kind and loving older brother when the two of them were alone together. Sasuke had asked him countless questions about the older Uchiha's life in High School, as well as the different friends he had and the other people he met. Itachi was patient with him, answering every question and jokingly poke fun at him when Sasuke asked something silly.

The day Sasuke had asked him why his classmates where acting the way they did, Itachi's face had gone stony.

Sasuke didn't like his brother's face like that. Itachi only wore that expression when he was talking with their father.

Itachi's tone in his voice had matched the cold expression, "They react that way because their parents know you are an Uchiha, and as an Uchiha you are better than everyone."

Sasuke hadn't understood why when Itachi said that. The sentence sounded as if had been recited from his mouth several times before.

Sasuke inquired about his tone, but his brother didn't respond, only told him that he needed to study.

Sasuke had left his brother alone in his room shortly after, finding himself in his own room, staring down at a child's reading book with a frown on his small features.

He did not understand what his brother had meant about their family. Why were the Uchiha's better?

What did their name have anything to do with being above everyone?

Sasuke had been elated to have the isolation disappear a week after school started.

They had just seated themselves in their desks when the teacher, Mr. Umino, walked into the room. Sasuke immediately glanced down to the small boy that was holding one of the hands of their teacher, a half eaten cookie dangling from his mouth.

The boy's hair was a bright blond, almost white in color. This wasn't that big of a deal, since most of the other lighter hair children also had this color.*

But what really stood out to Sasuke from even across the room were the color of his eyes. They were the bluest blue he had ever seen in his life. It almost looked like they were glowing with their intensity.

When those eyes trained on him, Sasuke immediately looked down at his desk, unhappy that the other had caught him staring. He had just been shocked because he hadn't seen many new faces, especially since they lived in such a small town.

Sasuke had been so busy trying not to look at the new kid he didn't even hear Mr. Umino introduce him to the class. It wasn't until a small tan hand holding a soggy portion of a cookie appeared right below his face that he even knew the kid had moved.

Sasuke jerked his head up and pulled away from the hand, confused as to why the boy was shoving a half eaten cookie into his face.

The boy gave him a big smile, "Hi! I'm Naruto Uzumaki! You're really pale. Wanna piece of my cookie?"

The blond held up the hand closer to his face and gave another bright smile, momentarily shocking the Uchiha further.

Sasuke glanced around the classroom, noting all the obvious stares everyone was giving both him and the new boy—Naruto.

Sasuke made a 'eww'-like noise and pushed the hand away, "That's gross."

Naruto immediately glared at the other. "There aint nothing wrong with my cookie! Look I'll show you!"

With that, Naruto did just that.

By gripping Sasuke's chin with his free hand, pulling the unexpected jaw open, and shoving the moist baked good into his mouth.

After Sasuke's basic bodily functions forced him to swallow the treat, he then promptly gave Naruto a hard push into the neighboring desk. When Mr. Umino reached the two, Naruto had his mouth chomping onto Sasuke's arm, while the Uchiha was pinching his skin and pulling hair.

The two spent the next fifteen minutes in time out and had been inseparable ever since.

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><p><em><strong>18 years ago<strong>_

_**Sasuke: age 9, Naruto: age 8**_

When his parents decided to move away from their hometown of Little Rock, Arkansas, Naruto had been hesitant about the big decision. He had been happy that his father got a promotion in his job, but the boy feared that he would have difficulty adapting to the new life in a small town.

But the second he walked into that classroom and saw the boy sitting in the back, he knew he would be okay.

The other was sitting by himself, his young face looking odd with the frown that shown on it. The small blond had been surprised when the other suddenly looked up to meet his gaze.

The other boy had the darkest eyes Naruto had ever seen.

As well as the loneliest.

The blond had decided then and there that he was going to be best friends with that lonely boy. He had already planned to be friends with every one of his classmates, but for some reason the boy with the black eyes seemed special in some way.

Naruto wasn't sure why he thought that was the case, and didn't really care either way.

He had been surprised when the pale boy didn't smile back at him and take the proffered cookie from his hand. He had been outright mad when the other said his gift was gross.

It hadn't been the best first meeting, but it had been a memorable one nonetheless.

For some reason the two boys bonded after they got out of time out. Sasuke had been hesitant to be around the loud blond, but Naruto didn't give him a chance to try to push him away again.

It had only taken the newcomer a few days to make Sasuke give in to the unavoidable friendship. Though Naruto never asked his friend, he still believed that Sasuke could sense it too—the feeling that this was going to be something special. Which was probably a big factor in the Uchiha giving into Naruto's camaraderie.

Because their town was such a small community, the two friends didn't have to worry about getting separated throughout the years. Each grade during their elementary school only consisted of one class of sixteen students.

The other classmates immediately flocked to the blonds outgoing and friendly personality, and eventually stopped actively avoiding Sasuke as well.

The Uchiha had been secretly relieved that he wasn't by himself anymore, and he knew that it was because of his new friend.

Sasuke's days were now a little bit brighter with Naruto in his life.

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><p><em><strong>16 years ago<strong>_

_**Sasuke: age 11, Naruto: age 10**_

Naruto had been complaining for the entire year about how Sasuke never invited him over to his family's house. The blond never understood why his friend avoided the subject of Sasuke's mother and father.

It hadn't been a big deal when they were younger, mainly because the two friends had been content spending time with each other at school.

Naruto knew that Sasuke liked spending time with him. It was obvious from how they did everything together. They ate lunch together, played during recess together, even sat next to each other during lessons. And when others wanted to play with them, they subconsciously made sure they were near each other at all times.

They also spent a fair amount of their time holding hands when they were playing in the playground. Sasuke had been very protective of his friend, gripping his hand to make sure he wouldn't lose him in the big play area.

This behavior stemmed from the one incident where Sasuke had left Naruto alone while he went to the bathroom. Naruto had been playing on the swing and somehow fell off, resulting in both his hands and knees getting scrapped.

Sasuke had walked outside to see Naruto holding back his tears, while Mr. Umino taped up the bloody wounds. Sasuke had panicked when he saw his best friend in such a state and had made a promise to Naruto that he would never leave him alone out here again.

The blond had an increasing sense of joy the longer he knew Sasuke, and as the two grew older, Naruto had wanted to spend more time with him. He had always talked about Sasuke to his parents, telling them everything he knew about the other boy. And when his parents asked if he wanted Sasuke to come over after school, Naruto had been overjoyed.

He had quickly told the brunette about it, and had been disappointed when Sasuke told him he had to ask his parents first.

Naruto had decided to wait with Sasuke after school for the Uchiha's brother to pick him up. His parents house was only a block away from their school, so Naruto didn't worry too much about walking home for the day. The blond had been hoping to at least meet the brother that Sasuke talked about so much.

When the nondescript black car pulled up to where they were sitting by the curb, Naruto immediately shot to his feet and walked to the car. He glanced at his friend, confused as to why Sasuke looked nervous, but didn't think much more about it.

He leaned down to peek inside the car after the driver rolled down the passenger window. The blond instantly noted the similarities in features between the older man and Sasuke: same black hair, same pale skin, same dark eyes. Naruto gave Itachi his usual big smile and introduced himself.

"Hi! I'm Naruto, Sasuke's friend. You're Itachi right? I heard so much about you!" The long haired brunette behind the wheel nodded his head slowly at the question before looking around Naruto to his brother.

Sasuke shook his head as his eyes pleaded with his brother.

While Sasuke had told Itachi about Naruto, he didn't describe his background or personality. He had known well that Naruto wasn't the most conventional friend and didn't want his family reacting badly to the blond being a part of his life.

Itachi knew exactly why Sasuke hadn't mentioned this piece of information about his friend, and decided to not bring up that fact to Naruto. He had every intention of speaking to Sasuke about it later on though.

"Yes, Naruto. So good to finally have a face to go with the description of the friend Sasuke has spoken so fondly of." Itachi's voice was pleasant enough, but Sasuke could hear the subtle caution in the tone.

Naruto, unaware of the change in Itachi's voice, responded, "Yeah, good to finally meet you too! Sasuke talks about you all the time." He leaned further into the car, "I was actually wondering if I could come with you so I can ask your parents if Sasuke could come over to my house today. My parents will be there to watch us and everything." He continued to smile, but Itachi could see the silent begging in Naruto's blue eyes.

Itachi stilled at the question, his intelligent mind whirring before quickly coming to a decision. He turned to Naruto, "You do not have to do that. I will tell our parents that he is at a friend's house. They will take my word for it."

Naruto made a 'whooping' noise inside the vehicle before pulling away and dancing in the parking lot. Itachi winced from the loud noise and stared at the young boy making a fool of himself in public. He turned his gaze to his little brother to find Sasuke looking at the crazy blond with a strangle twinkle in his young eyes.

A sense of foreboding blossomed in Itachi's chest as he stared at his brother. He did not like that glimmer in Sasuke's eyes, knowing very well exactly what the glimmer signified and not liking that it was in his brother's eyes at this early an age _at all_.

He turned to look at the ten year old jumping as high as he could into the air, a huge smile on his face as he stared back at Sasuke, cheering loudly and pumping his hands up and down.

His younger brother finally turned to look at Itachi in the car, leaning in and silently asking if it was really okay to go. Itachi nodded his head once before giving Sasuke a cautious stare, letting the younger brother know that this was going to be discussed later between the two of them.

Sasuke swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded back, pulling away from the car and waving Itachi off after he had indicated where the other lived. Once the car was out of the parking lot of their school, the two best friends walked towards Naruto's house.

Sasuke glanced over his shoulder while Naruto continued to yap about something. Black eyes scanning their surroundings as if expecting to see Itachi's car zoom towards him to pick him up. Or worse: his parents in their fancy private car.

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><p><em><strong>13 years ago<strong>_

_**Sasuke: 14, Naruto: 13**_

Sasuke's hands were soaking wet with perspiration, but he refused to wipe them on his pants in order to maintain his aura of calm.

Naruto had bugged him enough times to force his surrender in asking his parents about letting him come over to their house. Sasuke had told him that he would ask tonight to see if Naruto could stay the night this Friday.

The youngest Uchiha hadn't told his parents about Naruto until tonight, disappointed with himself that it had taken him this many years to tell them about his best friend. He had not been ashamed of Naruto in any way, except when it came to telling his parents.

Sasuke believed that Naruto is was kind and compassionate person—someone that would be there for him in any way. If Sasuke was in any situation that needed Naruto's help, he knew the blond would be there in a moment's notice.

Sasuke also knew that he would do the same when it came to his friend. Naruto was the closest person in Sasuke's life, closer than even his brother. Sasuke had thought that would never have been possible. But as he had grown older he started to take notice of how his brother looked at him with a barely masked worry. Itachi started to look at him like that right after he met Naruto.

It was because of those looks that he avoided his brother, not wanting to talk about his friendship with Naruto or the implications of what such a friendship would do to the Uchiha name.

Sasuke was proud to be an Uchiha. He had always been proud of such a relation. He just did not want to associate his family with his best friend.

But it appeared that his constant avoidance had finally come to an end. Which was why he was currently standing in front of the door to his father's study, the area in the entire Uchiha house that Fugaku Uchiha normally inhabited.

Sasuke stared at the dark wooden panel of the door, following the tiny grooves in the wood with his eyes. He turned his gaze to stare at the brass handle that opened the door, studying his contorted profile that reflected on the metal's surface. He had always been fearful of staring at doorknobs when he was a child. He always had a strange fear of seeing something come up behind him like he had accidentally seen in a horror movie playing on cable.

He shook his head from the memory, mentally cursing himself for procrastinating any further.

He took a deep breath and lifted his hand, quickly knocking before he lost his nerve again. His father's strict voice gave a austerely commanding "Enter," before the youngest son pushed open the door.

Fugaku glanced up from the paper he was holding to meet the hesitant eyes of his son.

His father turned his gaze back to the paper in his hand, "Something you need, Sasuke?"

The older man jotted something down on a notebook, paused, then looked back at the adolescent boy subconsciously shift from foot to foot and picking at his thumbnail.

"Don't fidget so much. That is not how I taught you to behave." His father's cold tone made Sasuke immediately drop his hands to his side.

Fugaku gave a small nod, "Good. Now what do you want, son? Speak up now, I am a busy man."

Sasuke cleared his throat before padding over towards his father's desk. "I have a question for you, father."

He looked at the rug on the tiled floor before he looked at his father again, realizing there had been too much silence. The older man raised an eyebrow but did not say anything.

Sasuke's hands began to sweat again but he refused to allow himself to be scolded twice for fidgeting. He spoke quietly, "I was wondering if I could have a friend stay over tomorrow night."

Silence met his question, and Sasuke couldn't stop from biting his bottom lip as his nerves spiked.

After a breath, Fugaku finally spoke, "A friend? I do not recall you talking about having such a close friend before."

Sasuke cleared his throat, "His name is Naruto. He is a classmate of mine and a good friend."

His father leaned back in his chair, "What is his last name?"

Sasuke winced at the question, knowing where his father was going with it.

"...Uzumaki."

Fugaku's eyes narrowed slightly, "Oh? I have not heard of such a name. What does his family do for a living?"

Sasuke subtly wiped his hands against his jeans before clearing his throat again, "His mother is a secretary at a law firm and his father...is a manager at the...paper mill."

Fugaku stilled, his dark eyes staring at his youngest son while Sasuke focused on not giving into his impulse of moving around nervously. He kept his face as blank as he could, knowing that his eye was twitching.

He was close to breaking under the scrutiny, his forehead growing increasingly damp with sweat as the resounding tick of the grandfather clock pulsed from its station in the corner of the room.

His father finally spoke, though his voice gave nothing away about what he was thinking.

"Come here, son."

Thankful that at least his voice didn't sound angry, Sasuke walked around the large oak desk and stood beside the seated man.

Fugaku leaned further forward and clapped a hand onto Sasuke's shoulder, not moving to give any comfort. His father stared at Sasuke's face, his own serious and blank.

"The Uchiha family is from old money. Do you know what the term, "old money" is, Sasuke?"

Sasuke nodded his head, "It means, sir...that our family is very wealthy and have been for a long time."

Fugaku nodded his head, removing his hand from Sasuke's shoulder but still leaning forward to speak to him. "And along with such wealth, the members of this family has a lot of influence in various financial endeavors.

"And many of these financial endeavors involve many family businesses that are here as well as all around the state of Arkansas. If it weren't for our input in these businesses, they would not be running anymore."

A strange twinkle flashed in his father's eyes before the man continued, "Which means that the people who own these businesses would be out of their livelihood."

Fugaku tilted his head so that he looked to be staring harshly at his son, "There are people out there that do not like the Uchiha family because we have so much power of their lives. But it is no fault of the family that these people do not have the intelligence to support their livelihood in the first place."

His father glanced at one of his many bookshelves before looking back at his son, "To be an Uchiha is a great honor. There are not a lot of individuals in this world who can boast of such a familial accomplishment."

His grip on Sasuke's shoulder returned, this time slightly painful as he stared at his son, "That being said, it is most important for every member of this family to give one hundred and fifty percent in everything they do. It is also important to never, under any circumstances, do anything that may tarnish the Uchiha name."

Fugaku pulled away after that, his face stern as he looked at his slightly trembling son. "Do you understand me, Sasuke?"

The boy quickly nodded his head, "Yes, father. I understand completely."

The man nodded in return, "So you know to always do what is expected of you?"

Sasuke nodded, "Yes father."

"This also means associating with certain...people. You should be very cautious of who you allow close to you."

Dread slammed into Sasuke's gut at his father's words. He gave a small nod before turning to leave, saddened that he now had to figure out how to tell Naruto that he couldn't stay tomorrow night.

Before he walked out the door his father's voice stopped him.

"Bring this...Naruto over tomorrow night. I would like to meet this close _friend _of yours. Six p.m. for dinner."

Sasuke turned, "Can he stay the night?"

Fugaku paused before picking up another sheet of paper and looking down at it.

"Perhaps."

Sasuke nodded quickly, knowing that was the best answer he was going to get. "Thank you, Father."

He pulled his father's door to a close and padded down the hallway and up the stairs to the third floor towards his room. He had to quickly call his friend and let him know the good news.

As well as give him a warning about his family.

He knew he was only going to get one shot at convincing his family that Naruto was as wonderful as Sasuke saw him to be.

**TBC**

*Most younger blond children have almost white hair which will either fall out when they are a baby and then grow back a darker color, or the color will darken...at least that's what I got from what little research I did on this subject. XD Let me know if I am wrong!

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><p>Wellll, that's it for now. I will be posting the next chapter semi soon...I hope. Again let me know if you see typos or grammatical errors and where they are!<p>

Thanks for the read and I look forward to the reviews!

~Shini |D


	3. The Impulse of Honorable Intentions

Hi all~! I had this typed out and posted over at y!gallery a while ago and forgot to post it here! Sorry! :( But at least I eventually got it over here, right?

This chapter is a bit angsty and a bit of Fugaku hating (well you will most likely hate him after this chapter... I know I did after I typed it out D:)

Enjoy~

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><p><strong>Chapter 3: The Impulse of Honorable Intentions <strong>

_"Reason only controls individuals after emotion and impulse have lost their impetus"_

_Carlton Simon_

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><p>Sasuke:<p>

_Why Naruto?_

_Why do you have to be so god damned impulsive? _

_Do you ever, at one point in your dumb ass existence, think before you act? Do you?_

_Do you think that maybe, some of the things you do aren't the wisest decision? _

_Are you aware of the concept that maybe your actions can cause catastrophic events?_

_Do you realize that what you fucking did changed what could have been? _

_You made it harder on yourself! It's your fault, you utter moron!_

_...And you made it harder for me..._

* * *

><p><em><strong>13 years ago<strong>_

_**Sasuke: 14, Naruto: 13**_

When Sasuke told his friend that he was able to stay the night, he could hardly get another word in. To say that Naruto had been excited would have been the understatement of the century. The blond had been yelling through the receiver about how cool it was going to be to meet Sasuke's parents and how they were going to love him.

After a dull thud suddenly sounded on the other side, most likely from Naruto falling down or hurting himself in some way, Sasuke was given a breath of silence. Of course his first reaction was to make sure the other was alright, but stopped the worry when he realized he had more important things to talk about.

Mainly trying to find a way for the blond to survive the night without suffering from the Uchiha wrath.

Sasuke spoke before Naruto could continue, "I have to tell you something before you get here. Are you listening?"

The blond made a humming sound, obviously not paying a large amount of attention. "Naruto, I really need you to listen to me, because this is really really really important."

"Okay, okay! I'm listening. Sheesh, what are you going to say next? In 30 seconds this phone will self destruct?" He snorted at his own lame joke.

"This isn't a secret mission, Sasuke. I'm just staying over at your house and meeting your mom and dad. How tough can it be?"

Sasuke gave an involuntary intake of air. Naruto must have heard it because he stopped joking around.

"It's going to be fine, Sasuke."

The brunette gripped the phone a little tighter and squeezed his eyes shut, fear threatening to bubble from his gut to his throat.

His voice was barely above a whisper, "You have to make them like you, Naruto. You have to."

Naruto gave a laugh that was meant to be reassuring, "They are gonna love me! I cracked that stubborn ice layer or yours didn't I?"

Sasuke nodded even though Naruto couldn't see him and continued, "But they aren't like me. My mom is okay, but my dad...Just don't say anything too loud or burp at the dinner table."

Naruto sputtered, "I am not a loud person! And I have never bur—oh wait...Well that one time was an accident—!"

"—You have burped every single time we have lunch together, Naruto. And you then try to get me to give you a high five as if you had just completed a work of art."

He chose to ignore Naruto's grumbles of how Sasuke didn't know what good art was if it bit him in the butt.

"Seriously Naruto, if you want to ever come over again, you have to not do that. Once dad has decided he doesn't like someone, he never changes his mind."

Sasuke took a deep breath, "I want you to come over again...I want to spend more time with you."

He frowned as his chest made a weird twisting sensation. He shook his head and listened to what Naruto was saying.

"I get it, Sasuke. I will be on my best behavior, for your daddy-o." It was the blond's turn to pause for a breath before saying, "I want to spend more time with you too, Sasuke."

The twisting feeling came back full force, coupled with a light happy feeling in his gut. What was wrong with him? Stomach ache?

Sasuke fell back against his navy blue comforter on his bed, twisting a strand of his black hair between his thumb and forefinger while he stared at the ceiling.

He blinked when the blond spoke again, "Okay, well I need to go to bed soon. I'll talk to you tomorrow about it...is there anything else I really need to remember _not _to do?"

His voice sounded uncertain as he asked it, as if finally realizing how important this first impression was.

Sasuke cleared his throat, "Not that I can think of. Just that my family is very straight-laced in everything they do. They do not joke. They do not laugh."

He frowned harder when he realized how sadly true that was. "What I mean is, if you plan on cracking jokes to get them to like you, don't expect anything good in return."

The other end of the line was silent for so long that Sasuke pulled the phone away from his ear to make sure it was still connected. A small noise coming from the earpiece made him put it back to his ear.

"...That is a sad way to live, Sasuke." Naruto's depressed tone fit the sentence perfectly.

The youngest Uchiha stiffened from the comment. "Not everyone finds it fun to laugh all the time like you do."

There was some shifting on the other end. "I know Sasuke, but to not laugh at all...I mean never?"

Sasuke was about to say something more when Naruto cut him off with a loud sigh, "Okay I get it. Well I don't get it, but I'll remember that. See you tomorrow, k?"

Sasuke blinked, "Okay. Yeah, see you."

The other end clicked right after. The blond's abrupt departure made Sasuke's inside turn in nervousness, something telling him that tomorrow night wasn't going to run as smoothly as the brunette had hoped.

XXXXXXXXX

Sasuke twisted the fabric of his shirt as he fought not to pace in the parking lot.

This morning when his mother told him that she would be picking up the two of them after school today instead of making Naruto walk over from his house at 6 tonight, Sasuke thought he would have a panic attack. Though it was better than having his father pick them up, he still did not know how to prepare himself for his mother meeting his best friend earlier than he had expected. It had normally been Itachi who picked him up after school, so when his mother volunteered he was immediately on alert.

Sasuke had politely asked his mother why she decided to do that, almost desperate to find out how badly this was going to get. She must have seen the panic in his expression because she gave him that motherly smile and patted him on the head. The normal gesture made him ease slightly, and when he finally calmed down she finally explained herself.

"Well, I haven't heard much about this Naruto boy. I didn't even know you had a close friend until recently. I would like to get to know such a person who is such a close companion to my son. You do not need to worry about this dear. It will be fine. Your father...he'll understand."

Sasuke did not miss the pause in her talk, nor did he miss the flicker of apprehension in her expression when she spoke of his father.

This was going to be a disaster.

He had spent most of the day trying to calm down, receiving the opposite results as the day progressed. By now he was truly fighting the urge to vomit all over the asphalt.

He had told Naruto to meet him in the parking lot right at 3:30 after school.

It was now 3:42.

He knew his mother would be there precisely at 3:45, giving the boys enough time to gather their belongings and casually walk to the meeting spot.

Of course Sasuke had calmly bolted to the spot, arriving at a surely record breaking 3:32. The feat he still didn't know how he pulled off considering it normally took him 15 minutes to walk every day since school started.

He supposed it had something to do with the blond chatterbox of a best friend that he always waited for after school. While his mother was prompt at 3:45, his brother normally took his time to come pick him up. He would say that Itachi was just a busy man and sometimes lost track of time. Except he arrived at 4:50 on the dot ever single day.

Either he was giving Sasuke plenty of free time to spend with friends, or he liked making him wait. His guess would be the latter.

He checked his watch for the millionth time since he arrived and silently cursed.

It was 3:44. And Naruto was nowhere to be seen.

He was considering walking back into their school building when the sound of a car approaching brought his attention back to the parking lot. The sight of his mother pulling up in her plain black car made the knot in his stomach grow to atomic bomb proportions.

He quickly whirled his head back to the building, his dark eyes jumping to all the possible exits in some last ditch attempt to see if maybe Naruto decided to use another door besides the one he had used since they entered middle school.

When he hear the automated noise of a window sliding down, Sasuke almost didn't turn around to greet his mother.

"Sweetie? Ready to go?" Then there was a pause before the question Sasuke dreaded to hear, yet knowing it would come regardless.

"Where is Naruto?" The typically calming tone in his mother's voice didn't stop the wince at the question.

He turned back to the car, the grip on his shirt getting tighter with each second that ticked by.

This was a disaster. A complete and total disaster. The night hadn't even started and Naruto had already screwed it up! How was he going to do to try to convince his parents that his best friend was all the wonderful things he should have in a friend when said friend doesn't even show up on time to be picked up?

Just when Sasuke was about to make up an excuse about how the blond had come down with a sudden case of food poisoning, the familiar bang of the main doors to their building stole his attention.

He turned to see Naruto walking towards the two of them with his hand scratching the back of his head and a sheepish smile on his face. But what really got his attention was the small bouquet of paper flowers gripped in his friend's free hand. Considering they were obviously home made, they actually looked quite good.

The colorful tissue paper was elegantly crinkled, giving the folds of paper the illusion of delicate flower petals. Sasuke finally looked up to meet happy blue eyes, raising a black eyebrow in a silent question.

Instead of giving him an answer, Naruto turned his attention to the women in the car, giving her his bright smile before speaking, "Sorry I'm late! When Sasuke told me that you were going to pick us up, I decided I wanted to make something for yah."

He slipped the bouquet through the open window, momentarily startling Mikoto with the sudden movement. She smiled around the bundle paper and took it from the boy.

"I hope you like them! It was my first time making these and I didn't want to mess them up, so I had to get one of the girls from class to help me. Do you like them?" The blond asked happily.

Sasuke frowned at the back of Naruto's head, confused by the comment about the girl. He didn't remember seeing his friend talking with many of the girls in their class, nor did the other mention any girls. He focused back on his mother when she answered him.

"Why, yes I love them. They are very beautiful, Naruto. You did not have to do something like this."

The blond gave a light laugh, his blue eyes squinting as a small blush hinted on his cheeks. "Well I wanted to give you something to thank you for letting me stay the night. It's nice to meet you Mrs. Uchiha."

Sasuke snapped his head to look at his friend, not expecting such a plan to come from him.

"Why aren't you sweetest. And please call me Mikoto dear." She reached and gave Naruto's hand a squeeze before turning to place the flowers in the passenger seat. She waved the two towards the car. "Come now boys let's head home. Dinner should be almost done by now."

Naruto walked around the car so he could open the car door to slide into the back seat. Sasuke followed his actions, sitting next to him behind his mother.

As the car moved away, the blond glanced sideways at him, sticking his thumb up while he smile grew even larger. Sasuke had to wonder if his face hurt from staying that way for so long.

He gave his friend a single nod before turning to look out the window. Hope began to bubble in his chest, thinking that Naruto may just achieve the impossible and pull this off.

Sasuke glanced blankly at the familiar iron gate that opened at the command of Mikoto pressing a button command attached to the rearview mirror of the car.

Once the pathway was clear, his mother slowly traveled down the short driveway towards his childhood home.

He watched in amusement as Naruto pressed his hands against the window to look up at their house. He had always known his house was large, but had never seen anyone outside of the family react to it.

Naruto whipped his head to stare at Sasuke with amazement, "Wow, dude! Your house is so huge!"

Sasuke snorted before glancing at the building, "It's fairly big, yes."

Naruto snort incredulously, "No, the school is big. Your house is _huge_."

A feminine giggle brought the two to look at Mikoto, who was laughing into her fingers before the turned the steering wheel into the semi circle driveway the led to the front door.

Naruto was barely restraining himself from bouncing in his seat, his blue eyes jumping every which way to look at his home. The boy acted as if he was at an amusement park and not Sasuke's house.

When the car pulled to a stop, Naruto wasted no time, quickly jerking open the door to explore, only to grunt as the still fastened seat belt constricted his trachea. He grumbled at the contraption, turning to glare at Sasuke who snorted at him before pressing in the release button. He immediately disappeared from the car, walking around quickly to look at everything in sight.

Sasuke glanced at his mother, who was watching his friend. She turned to look at him and gave him a reassuring smile. "He's a sweet boy, Sasuke. It will be fine."

He worried at his bottom lip before following Mikoto out the car.

Sasuke stood beside the car, staring absently at the mansion that was his home. The siding was a stark white, with navy shutters attached to the multitude of windows. He looked to the the furthest window on the second floor, the room inside darkened in his absence.

His room. His natural reaction at the thought was to mentally catalog all the items housed inside along with using his photographic memory to assure that he had put everything in their respective places. He shook his head when he noticed what he was doing, well aware that he had done so already. He looked away from his window to stare at the immaculately trimmed bushes that surrounded the first floor windows. He knew if he were to venture towards the shrubbery that he would find not a leaf out of place.

His father took great strides for the upkeep of his lawn, hiring the most respected—and most expensive—lawn care specialists. The results were impressive.

The large yard looked like something out of a magazine showcase. The rich green of the grass framed each bush and tree, enhancing the larger plants appearance for their own brilliance.

Sasuke had once asked his father why he worked so hard on the lawn. Fugaku had turned to him and said, "Because the most important thing in our lives is appearance. We must ensure that we stand strong and perfect so that others will never question our greatness."

At the time Sasuke hadn't a clue why his father was so intent on such a thing. But now he understood it. All for the upholding of the Uchiha name.

He broke away from his thought at the sound of his mother's small gasp. He turned and gave a gasp of his own.

Naruto was standing underneath one of their many magnolia trees, his foot steps apparent on the normally well groomed grass. He stood on the balls of his feet and reached with one hand above his head for the largest white flower on the tree, just a few inches above his outstretched hand. The soles of his shoes digging into the grass without their owners knowledge of the damage he was causing.

Sasuke immediately went to stop his friend, only to pause right before his foot made contact with the grass. He remembered the one and only time he tried to walk on the lawn when he was younger. He had learned his lesson when his father's stern voice instructed him that he was to never walk on the grass, the astringent expression on his face made Sasuke shiver in fear to this day.

"Naruto, get back-"

A throat cleared behind Mikoto and Sasuke, causing the two of them to turn around. The sight made Sasuke's throat grow tight with apprehension.

Fugaku Uchiha stood in the door way of their home, his normally pristine dress shirt slightly wrinkled as he crossed his arms over his chest, his gaze trained on the yard.

Sasuke whipped his head back to look at Naruto, watching in horror as the blond pulled free the flower with an audible snap. He yelped in triumph, jumping up and down several times with his prize over his head as he raised his arms and pumped his fists in the air. Sasuke would have laughed at the primate-like display of success, but he was too busy staring in horror as the minor damage done by his friend's shoes previously was now covered by the large indentations in the grass. Sasuke about screamed when he saw the dirt underneath begin to seep through the tears in the lawn.

Naruto finally stopped his makeshift victory dance to pull his prize to his nose and breath in the floral scent with a serene smile on his face.

Blue eyes blinked opened shortly after he noticed how quiet it had become. He turned his head towards them, focusing on Sasuke's father. Naruto instantly walked over towards him, the dazzling smile on his face once more. Sasuke predicted this tactic wasn't going to work on his father like it had done with his mother.

Once he was in front of Fugaku Naruto belted, "Hi Mr. Uchiha! I'm Naruto. Nice to finally meet yah!"

Without any thought of how the other would react, Naruto grabbed Fugaku's nearest hand and began shaking it like a mad man. What was supposed to be a normal hand shake, turned into a comical display of the blond jerking his father's arm up and down with such force, it caused the older man to take a step forward, lest he fall from the sudden movement.

Strands of Fugaku's slightly graying hair fell into his eyes as his head snapped back and forth, the young man oblivious to his captor's discomfort.

"It's really great to finally meet you sir! Sasuke has been telling me so much about you! Thanks for letting me stay over! You've got such a cool hous-!"

Naruto's words stopped when the hand he had been so excitedly shaking suddenly jerked away from him. He blinked his blue eyes up at the man, surprised when he saw anger on his face.

The blond took a step back as Fugaku took his time arranging his now disheveled appearance, smoothing back his hair into its rightful place before glaring down at the boy.

He took his time sizing up Naruto, a sneer crawling onto his creased face.

Naruto began to grow uncomfortable from the blatant look of contempt. He had learned long ago that he was the type of person that would forever be different from every one else. He had stood out more than the other students at his school, both in physical features and personality.

His brightly colored hair never calmed down, perfectly personifying his outgoing zeal on life. His voice had a tendency of getting far too loud when he was excited about something, eager to talk about it to anyone who would listen, often when they didn't have a choice in the matter.

He had known that others found his boisterous attitude to be troublesome and because of this he had received multiple looks similar to the one Sasuke's father was giving him right now. Normally he would ignore such reactions, deciding that if he took to heart every single one of them he would quickly be consumed by them. So instead he pressed on with more determination to prove himself in the eyes of his peers.

But seeing such a look on Fugaku Uchiha's—Sasuke's father's—face, when he had _just _met him, made Naruto's chest clench. He had wanted to make such a great first impression that the man would have no way to disapprove of him. He wanted to be able to spend more time with Sasuke at his house, especially since the place was so different from his parents' home. He had wanted to get to know his best friend's family.

When he saw the beautiful flower on the tree, he thought that would be an even better gift to give Sasuke's mother. He originally thought it would be a great idea to get her real flowers, taking this from memories of his own mother's smiling face when he had picked flowers for her. But because Sasuke had told him so late he could only make do with stupid paper ones. The pretty white flower on the tree seemed to be the perfect finishing touch before meeting Sasuke's dad.

But at some point he had done something horribly wrong, going by the worried look on Mrs. Uchiha's face and the terrified look on Sasuke's.

What on earth had he done?

Naruto looked back at Fugaku, seeing the man move to speak as if he were waiting for him to look at him.

Sasuke clenched his sweaty hands in his shirt, biting at his bottom lip until he winced from the sudden sharp pain of his teeth breaking the skin. He nervously looked from his father to his best friend, hating the expression of sadness and anxiety shown on Naruto's face.

The youngest Uchiha focused his full attention on his father when he began speaking.

"Mr. Uzumaki. What is that in your hand?"

Naruto blinked, obviously not expecting for him to start off with that.

He glanced down at the flower in his grip, before looking back at the man in front of him. He lifted the plant up as if to offer it to Fugaku as a gift, tentatively smiling and said, "It's a flower, sir." The 'sir' added quickly to the end, hoping he could get a few points for the gesture.

Fugaku plucked the flower out of his hand and regarded it, the plant spinning by its stem as his fingers twisted it. He turned back to the boy.

"And where exactly did you obtain this flower, Mr. Uzumaki?"

Naruto tilted his chin down slightly, glancing once at Sasuke before looking back at him.

"Um-"

"Come now, boy. Don't use inarticulate noises in your speech. Show me what kind of education you have accomplished."

Naruto winced at the comment, confused by it yet trying to think that he hadn't really meant for it to sound so harsh.

Sasuke wiped his palms against his jeans, his stomach rolling at the insult his father just threw at his best friend. He wanted to help Naruto. He wanted to with every fiber of his being. But he knew the consequences of going against his father. He only hoped Naruto could take what is to come without overreacting.

But more than that he hoped that he father wouldn't be too cruel.

Naruto licked his dry lips before trying again, "I got the flower from that tree...sir." He pointed to the magnolia tree in question.

Fugaku's stare grew even harsher. "Do not point in my presence. Such a thing is inexcusably rude while being a guest in someone's house."

Naruto quickly pulled his hand down to his side.

The displeased look remained on the older man's face. "Now, _Mr. _Uzumaki, to whom does that tree belong to?"

The boy blinked before looking at Sasuke then Mikoto, not liking the expressions on their faces at all, both complexions growing increasingly ashen as if they knew what was to come.

"Do not look away from someone when they are talking to you, Mr. Uzumaki. That is also very rude."

Naruto clenched his teeth and turned to look back at him, his fear and sadness slowly turning to anger at being so obviously mistreated. He took a deep breath to try to reel the emotion in before speaking slowly, "You own the tree, sir."

Fugaku nodded his head once before saying, "And whose grass did you just _trample, _Mr. Uzumaki?"

Sasuke took a step towards his friend at the sound of his father's absolutely livid tone, only to stop when his mother's hand gripped his shoulder. He shot his gaze to her, gritting his teeth in fear when she quickly shook her head. He turned to look back at the upcoming train wreck.

Naruto had the urge to look at the lawn, confused as to what the big deal was. It was _grass_. He resisted the temptation though and kept his eyes on Fugaku, "It's your grass."

He was growing tired of giving this man respect when he was going out of his way to not return the favor.

"Now tell me this, boy. Do you think it polite to come onto someone's property who has been so gracious as to grant you his hospitality and then proceed to _destroy _said property? Do you believe this is the proper way to _repay _your host's kindness, hm?"

Naruto took a step back, gripping the bottom of his shirt as shame started to creep in when he finally realized his mistake. "I'm sorry sir. I was only trying to give Mrs. Uchiha a gif-"

"Are you to insult my family further by using my wife as an excuse for your negligence and disregard to the sanctity of respect?"

Naruto quickly shook his head, his eyes widening at the implication, "No! I would never-"

"You say you would never, yet you just did, Mr. Uzumaki."

Another spark of anger trickled in, coupling with the increasing frustration when the man refused to let him get a word in. "I was just trying to explain-"

"You were just trying to make an excuse for your deplorable behavior. If I had any knowledge of just how abhorrent a person you were, I would have never allowed Sasuke to continue to associate with you."

Naruto took another step back, looking at Sasuke as his stomach rolled. His best friend was staring at him with such pain, obviously trying to go to him but the small hand of his mother keeping him in place. He brought his attention back to the man as he continued his tirade

"I had thought my son would have the intelligence to see what kind of person you really are."

Sasuke gritted his teeth when he saw Naruto stiffen. He had seen his friend take insult after insult when it came to him from his other classmates, but the moment the insults were directed at someone Naruto cared about he reacted violently.

_God please don't do anything rash Naruto._

The blond gritted his teeth and clenched his fists at his sides. "Sasuke did nothing wrong here. I am the one at fault."

Fugaku raised an eyebrow at that, internally surprised when the boy actually talked back to him. No one had done that. The surprise didn't last long though, quickly replaced by more anger.

"Do not talk to me in such a way, Mr. Uzumaki. I can talk about my son any way I see fit. And as of right now, he is a child that needs to reflect upon his poor judgment in who he associates with."

Naruto's control gave slightly, his anger getting the better of him. He growled in warning, as his fists shook by his waist, "Don't talk about him like that."

Fugaku scoffed, "Do not talk to me like you have the right. My god, did your parents teach you nothing? Are they so lax in being proper parental figures that they didn't even bother? That has to be the only option to explain the way you act. How half-witted can they possibly b-?"

The punch took every person present by surprise. Mr. Uchiha landed on the ground with a loud thud, his elbows scrapping against the bricks of the steps leading to the front door. The older man brought his hand to his eye as he blinked in shock up at the fuming boy trembling in front of him.

Naruto panted heavily as he glared murder at the man on the ground. "You can talk about me as much as you want, but don't you _ever _insult my family and others I care about. I don't care if you are the president of the United States. You won't get away with that."

The wounded man only stared up at him, unable to formulate a proper response to such an unpredictable reaction to his musings.

Naruto sobered slightly, shaking his now throbbing hand out before looking over at the two witnesses. Mikoto stared down at her husband in horror, her mouth covered by one of her hands. She turned her gaze to his assailant and a flash of fear appeared in her eyes.

A different kind of pain lanced through Naruto's chest. He bowed low in respect to her, keeping his head down as he said quietly, "I'm sorry for the violence, Mrs. Uchiha. I did not mean to scare you."

He lifted his head then to look at her face, seeing the fear had lessened minutely in her eyes. "But I do not apologize for striking out at someone who was insulting those closest to me. I will always fight for their honor."

Mikoto stared at the boy in front of her, seeing apparent regret in his features. The fear that had threaded into her system was suddenly replaced by a sense of wonder. This child had to be around Sasuke's age, but the look in his blue eyes showed an age much greater than that of a thirteen or fourteen year old. She gave a small nod.

Naruto gave her a slight smile in return before he looked at Sasuke, the smile vanishing at his best friend's expression.

Sasuke looked like he had just lost everything important in his life. His dark eyes were shining and his pale cheeks were flushed with emotions. His dark brows pinched tightly between his onyx eyes and his teeth were clenched tight. Even from this distance, Naruto could see that his entire body was trembling.

Panic started to well in him, forcing him to take a step towards Sasuke, only to freeze when a dark voice spoke behind him.

"You will remove yourself from my home right this moment, Mr. Uzumaki. And so help me, you will_ never_ speak to my son again."

Naruto whipped his head to Fugaku, seeing the man now standing and wiping a drop of crimson from his torn cheek.

The blond looked back to his friend but all thoughts at what he wanted to say stopped in his throat.

"I will not repeat myself. Get. Out."

Naruto looked once more at Sasuke, his expression similar to the other now. His face was ashen, as his blue eyes traveled over every feature of his best friend.

He stared for a moment longer before he bowed once more to Mikoto and scrambling along the drive and onto the sidewalk out of sight.

Sasuke stared after his friend, his mind racing and his heart throbbing. He had a sudden urge to see Naruto again, willing the shock of blond hair and blue eyes to come back into view.

"Sasuke."

He clenched his eyes shut before slowly turning to look at his father, dread dumping into his gut.

Fugaku's eye was already swelling, most likely forming a nasty bruise by morning. If the injury hurt the man, he did not show it.

"You will be transferring to a different school. Effective immediately. I had hoped that taking the risk of allowing you to stay in such a school wouldn't have any adverse affects on you. It is obvious that such an education institution is sorely lacking in discipline and in dire need of a stricter selection process."

Sasuke started to say something but his father glared at him harshly, "Do not speak. You do not have any say in this decision. You are not to see this miscreant again and allow him to further influence you."

Despite the warning, Sasuke tried. "Please father. Don't make me-"

There was another shock as Fugaku backhanded his son across the cheek.

"Fugaku!" Mikoto exclaimed as she bent to place her hands on Sasuke's shoulders from his position on the ground.

The older man looked at his wife, "Do not undermine me, Mikoto. I am the provider for this family and I make the rules. As such I will punish my son as I see fit."

He turned and walked into the house, closing the door with an audible click.

Sasuke panted against the pain of his cheek as he remained in his position on the ground. His mother ran her fingers through his hair, giving him only an ounce of comfort against the tsunami of despair that invaded him.

He wasn't going to see Naruto again.

Naruto stuck his hands in his pockets, wincing slightly when his tender knuckle pressed against the rough fabric of his jeans. He gritted his teeth as he looked down at the sidewalk beneath his strides.

Now that he had calmed down he realized just how badly he had screwed up. Why in the hell did he punch _Sasuke's dad _in the face?

Then the man's remarks as sounded in his mind, reminding him all over again how justified he had been.

His parents had done nothing wrong in raising Naruto. And Sasuke was not a fool.

The thought made him pause in his steps.

_Sasuke._

He turned to look at the street that lead back to Sasuke's grand house, a large lump of foreboding growing inside of him.

He had a sudden pull to run back to the Uchiha mansion and pound on the door, demanding to see Sasuke.

He hissed out a sigh and shook his head, pointedly turning back to continue onward to his house. He had about a twenty minute walk and knew his parents would start to worry when Naruto wouldn't call to let them know he arrived at Sasuke's house safely.

He continued walking, trying desperately to ignore the voice in his head telling him that he wouldn't be seeing his dear friend for a very, _very _long time.

**TBC**

* * *

><p>Yep. Angst with a side of wanted to kick Fugaku in the nuts.<p>

Review and let me know what you think!

~Shini :)


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